on trial, under trial
on trial, under trial は英検1級レベルの英単語で、「審理中、試験中、試用中」という意味があります。発音記号は /ɑːn ˈtraɪəl/ です。
意味一覧 (3件)
審理中
解説 Definition
（法律上）裁判中で、審理中で；（製品・方法などが）試用中で、試験的に使用されて
On trial or under trial means that a legal case is being examined in court. It is used when a person or matter has not been finally judged yet.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
これは on trial, under trial の「試験中」とは別に、法律で人や事件が裁判所で審理されている状態を表す用法です。trial は try と同系で、法廷では証拠や主張を吟味して判断する過程を指すと考えると覚えやすいです。典型的には be on trial for murder のように、罪名や容疑を for で続けます。under trial はより硬く、法的・報道的な文脈で見かける表現です。
Connect `trial` with `try`: in court, people are being tested by evidence and arguments. That makes `on trial` easy to remember as a legal phrase. It can also appear outside law for something being tested, but the courtroom image is the strongest memory hook.
例文
The new drug is on trial at the hospital this month.
その新薬は今月、病院で臨床試験中だ。
The prototype remains under trial until engineers approve the design.
その試作品は技術者が設計を承認するまでは試用中のままだ。
試験中
(意味 2)解説 Definition
製品・方法・制度などが正式採用の前に、実際の条件で試されている状態を表します。薬の臨床試験、試作品、社内制度など、効果や安全性を確かめる文脈でよく使われます。
"On trial" or "under trial" means that a product, method, system, or idea is being tested in real conditions before it is fully accepted or officially introduced. It is often used when people want to check whether something is effective, safe, or practical. You can see it in contexts such as clinical testing, prototype use, or temporary workplace policies.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
trial は try と同系で、何かを実際に試して判断する「試み・試験」を表します。on trial は人なら「裁判中」ですが、製品や制度なら「試験中・試用中」です。under trial も評価の過程に置かれている感じで、under review より実地テスト寄りです。a system on trial や a drug under trial の形で覚えると定着します。
Use the same root you see in "nutrition" to remember that "nutritive" is about nutrition. The suffix "-ive," as in "active" or "protective," often makes adjectives about a quality or function. This is a more formal word often used in phrases like "nutritive value" or "nutritive needs," especially in food labels, research, and health explanations. It focuses on nutrients, absorption, and effects on health, not on taste or amount.
例文
The new payment system is on trial in three stores before the company rolls it out nationwide.
その新しい決済システムは、全国導入の前に3店舗で試験中です。
Several cancer drugs are under trial to see whether they are safe and effective for long-term use.
いくつかの抗がん剤が、長期使用で安全かつ有効かを確かめるため試験中です。
A four-day workweek is on trial at the office this month, and managers will review the results next week.
今月その職場では週4日勤務制度が試験中で、管理職が来週結果を確認します。
試用中
(意味 3)解説 Definition
製品や制度、サービスなどを正式採用する前に、一定期間ためしに使ったり運用したりしている状態を表します。品質や効果を見きわめる文脈で使われ、法的な「審理中」とは別の意味です。
This phrase means that a product, system, or service is being used for a limited time before a final decision is made. It shows that people are checking its quality, usefulness, or results in real use. In this meaning, it is about testing or temporary use, not about a legal case in court.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
trial は「試み・試験・裁判」を表し、try と同じく「試す」感覚が核です。on trial は人や物が評価の場に載っている状態、under trial は試験の過程に置かれている状態を強めます。製品なら be on trial、薬や制度なら be under trial と結びつきやすく、単なる temporary「一時的」ではなく、結果を見て採否を決める試用中と覚えます。
Think of effort as more than a single try. As a countable noun, it often means an organized attempt or a whole piece of work aimed at a goal, as in a rescue effort or a joint effort. Try is one attempt, and project is a specific plan, but effort is a broader word for the work put in to make something happen.
例文
The new ticketing app is on trial at three stations this month.
その新しいチケットアプリは今月、3つの駅で試用中です。
A shorter workweek is under trial in several departments to see if it improves productivity.
生産性が上がるかを見るため、いくつかの部署で短い労働週が試用中です。
This water filter is still on trial, so the company has not decided on full adoption yet.
この浄水フィルターはまだ試用中なので、会社はまだ正式導入を決めていません。
on trial, under trial の語源・成り立ち Etymology
trialは古フランス語trier（選別する、試す）から派生した名詞で、「試すこと」→「裁判」の意味に発展。on/underは状態を示す前置詞で「審理の最中にある」を表す。関連語：try（試みる）、triage（選別）。法廷で証拠を「試す・吟味する」過程が裁判の本質を示す。
Trial comes through Old French from a verb meaning "to sort out" or "test," which is also related to English try. The word first referred to testing or examining something carefully. From there, it came to mean a legal case, where evidence and arguments are tested in court, so on trial and under trial mean being in that process.
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